1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a redundant locking system for reliably securing a weldless knob to the handle of metal baseball and softball bats to prevent a detachment of the knob from the handle in response to pulling forces applied to the knob during use of a bat.
2. Background Art
Metal (e.g. aluminum) bats are becoming increasingly popular among baseball and softball enthusiasts as replacements for the traditional wooden bats. However, during the manufacture of the convention metal bats, a knob is typically welded to the knob receiving end of a tubular handle of the bat. The process for welding the knob to the bat handle is relatively complex and is known to increase the time required to assemble a metal bat.
More importantly, welded knobs have been known to come loose and separate from the bat handle. That is, the weld for securing the knob to the handle sometimes breaks in response to pulling forces that are applied to the knob during the swing of a batter. As a consequence of the foregoing, the bat may fly out of the batter's hands and strike nearby persons or property with the risk of inflicting injury or damage.
Therefore, what is needed is a high strength means to mechanically and reliably lock a weldless knob to the handle of a metal bat to facilitate the assembly of the bat, improve the esthetic appearance, and reduce the chance that the knob may break completely off the end of the handle with the possibility of causing serious injury.